General utility tool



May 2, 1933 W. L. GREIDER GENERAL UTILITY TOOL Filed July 50, 1952 INVENTOR.

Patented May 2, 1%33 WESTLEY GREIDER, OF QUARRYVILLE, EEN'NSYLVANIA GENERAL UTILITY TOOL Application filed. July 30,

The invention relates to tools of the character of hoes and rakes and particularly to a tool for use either as a hoe or rake, or com bined tool, and has for object to effect an improvement in the blade construction and mounting, as well as to improve the device so as to provide a combined blade and handle securement of novel kind whi h will have advantages peculiarly desirable in some of m the particular uses to which my tool is applicable. The tool is of peculiar value as a forest-firefighting impl ment, and as a weed and brush cutter it has the advantage of lightness, compactness and high efiiciency. it is very effective in removing heavy sod, and in trench work. Where hard earth or stony ground has to be worked the tools of this type have been found exceptionally effective. It is therefore a purpose of my invention to present such a tool which will be specially durable and liable in a minimum degree to breakage incident to the very severe usage to which such tool is liable in forest fire work, in brush cutting, and other and various kinds of work to which it will be applied.

A special object of the invention is to give a more secure mounting for the blades on the steel angle head of such a tool. Likewise to render secure the fastening of the head to the handle, and particularly to pro vide a socket structure which will simultaneously clamp both the head and the socket.

It is a further object to present a construc tion in which the head socket and blade assembly will have a very low altitude from the tips of the blades to the top of the mounting so that the tool may be worked in very confined situations to good advantageas when it is necessary to work under roots, under the lower rails of fences, and other pl; ces where a slight increase of height would impair its utility disproportionately.

For use in mountainous oistricts, in army engineer work, and for isolated situations. it is frequently necessary to pack supplies into the site of operations by burro, llama, or other pack animals, or by human porters, so that the matter of bulk and eight is of paramount importance. It is an object there 1932. Serial No. 626,957.

fore to make its practicable to ship the tool head assemblies only, and permit the assembly thereof on handles cut on the site of use from suitable saplings or otherwise. For the various exigencies in which the tool may be required in such situations, it is also imperative that a means for fastening the handles whether crude or well formed, shall be provided which will insure rigidity and security, but most important, that will not require expertness 011 the part of those assembling the implements, nor require expenditure of much time, in the performance of the work. I have therefore evolved a quick-operating securing means to fasten handles in the socket, and one which will work satisfactorily on a wide range of diameters in the handle butts. It is also a prime object to present such a fastening which may be entirely manually operated, requiring no tools whatever for the securement of a handle if it approXimates the proper diameter.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invent-ion, as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the tool and SO handle.

Figure 2 is a top view thereof.

Figure 3 is a front view thereof.

Figure 4 is a section longitudinally of the handle.

Figure 5 is a detail of the clamp open.

Figure 6 is an inner side view of the top member of the socket.

Figure 7 is a similar view of the bottom member.

Figure 8 is a cross section of the socket and clamp.

There is illustrated a tool comprising a head 10 which consists of a simple rectilinear steel angle member, hshaped in cross section, one-inch stock being used for one embodiment of the invention. Blades 11 are secured by rivets 12 to the inner face of the front downturned flange 13 of the head, and on the top flange of this head indentations 15 are formed on the outer end parts at the lower side immediately adjacent and snugly abutting the bases or top edges of the butts of the blades so that the sccurement of the latter is male iore rigid and secure. The dentation may be a continuous rib formed by properly rolling the stock, if desired.

The blades have a lower planiform cutting portion 16 which is in the form of an inverted truncated triangle, bevelled at the sides and bottoms, the top or butt portion be ing extended a distance upwardly and having a rectangular shape as at 17. The butt portion 17 is of greater depth than the flange 13, so that the upper terminations of the inclined sides of the blades stop short of the head 10, a substantial distance, permitting ready sharpening of the blades without removal of the blades from the head, and without requiring special formation of the head which, as before stated, is simple stock angle steel.

The blades have their side edges of the butts exposed at the ends of the head and are bevelled and sharpened on these end edges also. The blades may be formed as a multiple unit in one piece or as individual blades individu ally assembled and secured to the head.

The head and a handle 18 are commonly clamped between upper and lower sections 19 and 20 of a handle socket. Both of the sections include semi-cylindrical sleeve portions 21 of like form, having respectively registered apertures 22 at top and bottom near their ex tremities. The top socket section 19 has an upper jaw 23 formed thereon, provided with a lower face 23 in a plane at an oblique angle to the axis of the socket. the inner side of the angle being toward the lower part of the device. At the outer part of this jaw a depending thick lip 24 is formed at right angles to the lower face 23 mentioned. The lower side of the jaw and adjacent portion of the socket are recessed in part to save material, and formed with stiffening and reinforcing ribs and bosses 25 and 26. Two of these bosses are located in line with the lower face portion 23' and the medial longitudinal line of the top flange 1 1- of the head 10 when secured in the device, and apertures are formed therethrough to receive bolts 27 by which the upper and lower aws and the head are clamped together in part. At the junction of the jaw and the sleeve section 21, a cone-shaped boss 28 is formed, projecting below the adjacent lower side edges of the socket section 19;

The lower section 20 of the socket structure has. a lower aw formed thereon which consists of a simple substantially planiform plate at the same angle to the axis of the socket as the lower face 23 of the upper jaw, the plate or jaw 29 being of substantially less size than the jaw 93. The lower jaw stops at a transverse line spaced from the flange 13 the thickness of one of the blades 11 while its central edge portion is cut away or otherwise recessed as at 31. This socket section is also formed with a conical recess 30, positioned to register with and receive therein the boss 28 by which relative lateral or longitudinal displacement of the two elements of the socket is prevented. A shoulder 32 is formed at the base of the jaw 29 to engage the edge of the flange 14 when laid between and snugly engaged by the aws. The lower jaw is also apertured in registry with the apertures of the upper jaw to receive commonly the bolts 27 therethrough by which the jaws are drawn together on the head on the sections 19 and 20 held together. The indentations 15 are omitted adjacent the central blade on the head, and the extreme edge of the lower aw 29 presses firmly against the base of this blade to lock the head 10 against the lip 24 but also to stiffen and buttress the blade and reduce liability of its working loose by blows or pressure against its points at the inner side. The jaw 29 also clamps and presses the top flange of the head firmly against the described lower face of the jaw 23. The reason for recessing the front edge of the jaw 29 at 31 is to aflord certainty of bearing of the jaw against the blade on each side of the aXis of the handle and to facilitate the fitting of the jaw to a tool in proper abutment with the central blade portions.

Both of the socket sections and their jaw portions are well adapted to be stamped from sheet metal, cast or drop-forged. as will be apparent from the drawing and description, and it is desirable that the socket sleeve portion 21 be resilient so that they may be readily sprung together on a handle.

For the quick attachment of the socket to a handle I have provided a manually operable removable and attachable clamp device shown individually in Figure 5. This comprises two semi-circular clamp bands 33 and 34: respectively, connected to the extremities 35 and angles 36 of a double bell crank lever or yoke 37, by which these two bands are drawn toward each other. and the connected parts of the lever move across dead center, so as to be held in compressed position against casual return or release movement unless the lever yoke is operated reversely. The lever yoke and bell crank portions are formed integrally in one piece by being stamped from sheet metal. after which the connecting cross piece 33 between the extremities of the levers is bent into semicircular form, bringing the two lever portions into parallel relation. Each of the clamp bands 38 and 84 has a. central spur at the inner side arranged to pass through the respective registered apertures at top and bottom of the socket or sleeve members, so that these spurs pass inwardly thorugh the sleeves a considerable distance and penetrate the inserted handle, securing it against withdrawal from the socket, at the same time that the socket sections are firmly pressed together against the inserted handle. The bands 33 and 84 are preferably of rather thick resilient material, and curved less than the surfaces compressed, so t iat a very high pressure will be applied to the sleeve sections even on the smallest practicable wood handle, and yet in case of a larger handle, a certain flexure of the bands under application of very high compressing force will cause them to function properly. The socket sections are also formed of more or less resilient material and are capable of some deformation to snugly engage the inserted handle when proper compression force is applied.

The operating yoke 17 may be arranged to swing toward the handle or away therefrom on compression movement, and it may also be arranged at upper and lower side of the socket without change of its structure, size or manner of engagement with the socket.

In use, the proper blades being assembled on the head, and the sections 19 and 20 being formed as described, to put the head in place, it is simply necessary to separate the two parts of the socket and set the upper flange of the head in the under side of the jaw 23 with the junction of the flanges of the head next the lip 24. The lower section is then adjusted against the flange 13 and the middle blade. The conical boss 28 now enters the recess 10 to hold the sections against relative casual displacement. The bolts 27 are now inserted through the jaws and interposed top flange of the head and the nuts tightened properly thereon. The extreme transverse edge of the head now becomes wedged against the middle blade at its base, this thrust being taken by the boss 28. The clamp device having been removed, and a. suitable handle being provided, the latter is inserted in the open end of the socket. The compression device is now adjusted on the separated socket portions and operated to draw them into proper engagement with the handle. The clamp device is put in place by swinging the lever yoke to extreme open position, when the semicircular compression bands may be separated to the maximum distance and slipped over the handle into place upon the divergent parts of the sleeve. The spurs being adjusted in the apertures of the socket sleeve, and the lever yoke operated to draw the compression bands toward each other forcing the spurs into the wood of the handle, then coengaging the sleeve sections to press them together, as the band connections pass to dead center relation at opposite sides of the axis of the handle, the bail or lever yoke is caused to snap down against the side of the handle or sleeve where it is re- Y tained ieldable to manual release 0 eration.

I claim 1. A tool of the character described comprising an L-angle head, a plurality of blades secured to the inner side of one flange thereof having triangular pointed portions projected from the head, the other flange of the head at the top and projected rearwardly and having indented parts to engage the bases of outer blades, a handle and head mounting s n I comprising two socket sections each having forward cooperating clamping jaws having the top flange fixed therebetween and having opposed semi-sleeve portions, and means to clamp the sleeve portions together upon an interposed handle.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which the upper aw has a terminal lip extending downward before the lower flange of the head, and the lower jaw has an extreme edge bearing against the inner side of the head, said jaws engaging the top flange of the head at top and bottom.

3. The stii'ncture of claim 1 in which said clamping means comprises two opposed saddle pieces, a pair of hell crank levers having long and short arms, respective saddle pieces connected to the ends of the short arms and 'iwardly thereof respectively, and means to stop clamping movement of the levers when the connections of the saddle pieces are past dead center relation.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said clamping means comprises two opposed saddle pieces, a pair of hell crank levers having long and short arms, respectivesaddle pieces connected to the ends of the short arms and inwardly thereof respectively, means to stop clamping movement of the levers when the connections of the saddle pieces are past dead center relation, and spurs on said saddle pieces, said sleeve portions of the socket having respective opposed apertures therein to receive said spurs respectively therethrough.

5. A clamping device for tool handle sockets comprising upper and lower semicylindrical sleeve members adapted to be clamped together upon an interposed handle and to coengage a transverse tool head, the upper of the members having a longitudinal extension forming a jaw having a planiform lower face portion at an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve member and being broadened and medially recessed so that the face portion aforesaid is located principally at the sides of the jaw, said jaw raving an outer transverse depending lip and having a projecting lug on the inner side between the sleeve member and jaw; the lower sleeve member having a longitudinal extension forming a jaw having a transverse plate parallel to the plane of the lower face portion of the first named j aw, the outer transverse edge of the second named jaw stopping short within said lip to receive therebetween one flange of a head of the character described when the other flan e of such head is engaged between the manor parts of the jaws, and having a recess to receive said projecting lug, means to secure the j aWs together 5 upon a head, and means to secure the sleeve members in clamping engagement with a handle.

In testimony whereof, I a-fiix my signature. VESTLEY L. GREIDER. 10: 

